Tennessee county beats hasty retreat from call to ban homosexuals

Associated Press ^ | March 18, 2004 | BILL POOVEY

[tomball]

The county that was the site of the Scopes "Monkey Trial" over the teaching of evolution Thursday reversed its call to ban homosexuals.

Rhea County commissioners took about three minutes to retreat from a request to amend state law so the county can charge homosexuals with crimes against nature. The Tuesday measure passed 8-0.

[ASTM366]

HOMOSEXUALITY is a vile and repulsive behavior.

It is an unhealthy lifestyle that spreads disease and is the leading cause of AIDS.

Homosexual males account for 90% of all AIDS cases.

Any behavior that spreads an incurable disease should be banned.

[timm22]

Gluttony and weight are not congruent 'deacon'. Go buy a clue.

Would you support laws against all-you-can-eat restaurants, then? I'd hate to see such laws. Gorging on Poncho's tacos until my torso is about to explode and I start to get dizzy is one of my guilty pleasures.

Maybe that vice explains my odd morals and shoddy thinking... :)

[narses]

Really? Why not? Are you more comfortable having "Heather has Two Mommies" jammed down their throat?

[Torie]

Hobson's choice. Nice try, I would want teachers per my hypo to make the cathechism so transfixing that the students find it more interesting that doodling. If they choose to doodle, they should get a low grade on the ensuing quiz, and it should be reported to the parents, who can make their own choice as to the appropriate action. I would not want any teacher hitting a kid of mine at the age of 7 under any circumstances. If they did, since I'm a lawyer, well whatever.

[narses]

Nope. There are huge differences (please forgive the simile) between venial sins and mortal sins and between those sins that are inherently criminal and those that are inherently personal. It is like trying to compare a diet issue with a theft issue. Both may have moral and or ethical issues attached, but they differ greatly in how they are and ought to be treated. The 'deacon' (if he really is in Holy Orders and if he really has had anything close to a tradtional seminary foundation) knows this, or ought to know this. Fornication, adultery and homosexual conduct are enormously harmful to both the participants and to society. They have been illegal for aeons, for good reason. Gluttony, private and solitary drunkedness and personal sexual abuse (to list just a few sins) are of a different order and nature. The 'deacon' and the libertines would lump all sins and all crimes and infractions together and then claim that they are all equally unimprotant. Manifestly untrue.

[timm22]

HOMOSEXUALITY is a vile and repulsive behavior. It is an unhealthy lifestyle that spreads disease and is the leading cause of AIDS. Homosexual males account for 90% of all AIDS cases. Any behavior that spreads an incurable disease should be banned.

I've always been a little curious about this argument. It's true that homosexual males have high levels of AIDS infections. But aren't they just spreading it around to other homosexuals? Don't homosexuals know by now that gay sex is extremely risky?

If their behavior is so wrong, evil and repulsive, and they freely choose to engage in it, why should we worry that they sometimes get a terminal disease from their immoral behavior? Wouldn't that actually be a good thing, if you believe homosexual behavior is evil?

[narses]

I agree. OTOH, young children sometimes need physical correction and I am glad the good Sisters were willing to apply same. In many decades of our relationship, they used such force maybe a half a dozen times, max. Given the size of my brood, that wasn't bad. I am eternally greatful to them.

[sinkspur]

You talk about me, ping me.

I think that ought to be illegal, too, narses.

A night in the box, for you.

[Torie]

I suspect you are ascribing your own weights to the assorted and sundry sins, rather than those of your church. Perhaps it is time that you just came out of the closet, and stopped hiding behind the skirts of your church as the primary fuel for your passions.

[timm22]

Gluttony, private and solitary drunkedness and personal sexual abuse (to list just a few sins) are of a different order and nature. The 'deacon' and the libertines would lump all sins and all crimes and infractions together and then claim that they are all equally unimprotant. Manifestly untrue.

Fair enough. I went through several years of Catholic education, so I am a little familiar with the concept of venial vs. mortal sins, but could you help claify a few things for me? Like, who or what determines which sins are venial and which are mortal? What standard or consideration is used?

And were my teachers incorrect in asserting that sexual self-abuse and improper dwelling upon sexual thoughts are mortal sins?

[narses]

Yawn. I've pinged you a dozen times on this thread. You have failed to answer my questions while you attack me regularly with words like "hypocrite". Get over it 'deacon'.

[narses]

" But aren't they just spreading it around to other homosexuals? "

No. They also spread disease to their innocent spouse, to their blood donor contacts and to their heterosexual promiscuitous contacts. But even if they WERE just passing it on to other sexual deviants, it would be wrong and a public health hazard, no?

[sinkspur]

I've answered all your questions, nancy boy.

Get over yourself.

[Jaded]

Update ping.

[sinkspur]

And were my teachers incorrect in asserting that sexual self-abuse and improper dwelling upon sexual thoughts are mortal sins?

They are. And, in the world of narses, thought police would put you in jail if you leered at a Hooter's waitress.

And, they could burst in on your teenage son in the solitariness of his room at any time, lest he be masturbating.

[dogbyte12]

Well, the other side of this argument is that AIDS has only been an epidemic since the early 80's. Does this mean that pre-1980, it would have been ok for gays to have marriage, etc. since they weren't spreading AIDS around?

AIDS in homosexuals is a result of rampant promiscuity. However, I think the argument against gays based on AIDS is kinda specious due to the fact that AIDS has been around only 20 years as a pandemic, and what happens if there is a cure? If you base your argument on AIDS, the day there is a cure, you have lost the battle.

[AntiGuv]

Where did your 'precepts' come from?

Those are rather existential precepts. They are an assertion of the actual state of being.

So the Catholic Faith is WRONG? It is 'immoral'? It is based on 'myth'? Really? According to who? You? What is your AUTHORITY for such a sweeping claim?

Yes, yes, yes, and yes. According to five billion people, including myself. Those five billion follow a myriad of authorities, feel free to select one.

As for my own, it is wrong simply because it does not correctly describe reality. It is immoral because it violates the two moral precepts that I have specified. It is based on myth because it is predicated upon fictitious parables.

You DO tell me that my moral precepts are "wrong" though. Who gives you that authority and what 'moral precepts' are you using as your guide and claiming as "right"?

You asked, dear, and so I answered. It would have been impolite and uncivil of me to ignore you. In a secular nation your question was of course unnecessary to the question at hand (the formulation of the laws) and so if you had chosen not to ask I would not need have answered.

[narses]

Mortal and venial sins relate to three seperate questions, knowledge, gravity and action. In the cases argued here the issue is also harm to others and society. Solitary mortal sins (self abuse, solitary drunkedness and the like) are far different from 'consenting adults' and the mortal sins being debated here. While the alleged 'deacon' would equate gulttony and adultery, clearly they are very, very different. When his precious 'consenting adults' pursue AIDS by 'barebacking', their criminality is glaring and obvious. Me getting drunk alone is a far cry from that. Sinsful in both cases, yes. Harmful to society, yes but in different manners and on a far different order.

[narses]

HUH? Try saying that in english.

[sinkspur]

Solitary mortal sins (self abuse, solitary drunkedness and the like) are far different from 'consenting adults' and the mortal sins being debated here.

How does fornication between two adults "harm society" any more than an adult male, masturbating?